Passengers traveling between Yangon and Mandalay via train should be in for a smoother ride, after Chinese-made carriages and locomotives were introduced on the line yesterday.
The new service introduced by Myanma Railways features an air cushion suspension system that should ensure a more comfortable journey compared to the “jumping and writhing” induced by the old rickety carriages, as the Myanmar Times put it.
CCTV has also been installed for security – but only on upper class carriages.
Three out of 11 locomotives bought from the China National Machiery Import and Export Corporation as part of a $12.3 million contract have started running on the line.
They leave Yangon and Mandalay everyday at 3pm, but the journey time still takes 14 hours.
“The trains will feel comfortable for passengers but it can’t reduce the running time,” Ohn Kyi, Myanma Railways deputy general manager, told the Times.
